Marijuana: The Political Irony of Illicit Drugs

Marijuana is pervasively known in two strains; Sativa and Indica. Sativa grows tall and slender in hot countries in and around the equator, it’s predominantly over 6ft tall and suited for outdoors. Indica grows short and wide and flourishes in higher altitudes, its shorter growth spans is suited for indoor cultivation. There’s a contrasting experience between both plants; Sativa induces a mental cerebral high, enhancing creativity and evoking abstract thoughts. Some have even made claims of spiritual awakening and life changing epiphanies.

Indica is a bodily high, causing physical relaxation and physiological relief of pain or swelling, the most prevalent strain prescribed under a legal physician for medical usage. Although the experience of Sativa and Indica may act as both stimulant and depressant, the experiences are subjective and may affect a persons physiological makeup differently. Two smokers can inhale identical strains and have contrasting experiences.

There’s a wide array of cannabis strains between Sativa and Indica, known as “Hybrids,” 70% Sativa 30% Indica are considered Sativa-dominant hybrids, a cerebral and physically relaxing effect. 70% Indica 30% Sativa are considered Indica-dominant hybrids, a pain suppressant/depressant with a mental high, and 50% Indica, 50% Sativa are even-hybrids. Cannabis metaphoric names correlate with its experience; such as taste, smell, geographical location or its overall aesthetic appeal. A strain may be called “Juicy-Fruit,” attributed to smell and taste, “African-Juju,” attributed to geographical location, while “Purple-Train-wreck” may be attributed to experience and color aesthetics.

(THC) Tetrahydrocannabinol is the main psychoactive ingredients in cannabis that induces the psychological effect. When the compound enters the bloodstream it targets the central nervous system, altering the brains neurological function. Although the (THC) property emanates from a natural plant, the potency alters the brains processing system. The (THC) property binds to the naturally produced cannabinoid receptors in the brain, altering how the receptors process information, causing irregular or disruption of the brains natural regulating mechanism.

Medical marijuana also mitigates the unpleasant side-effects of chemotherapy, imagine a treatment that alleviates symptoms associated with lung cancer, brain cancer, prostate cancer, muscular sclerosis, parkinson’s disease and other physiological disorders. C onnoisseurs profess of it’s spiritual implications and euphoric experience, while reducing anxiety, insomnia and physical pain. Marijuana temporarily stimulates the brains cannabinoid receptors elevating dopamine; a neurotransmitter that affects mood, behavior, while accelerating pleasurable activities and excitement.

There’s many long-term side-effect claims of marijuana impairing memory, causing mental incoherence and depression; also Inducing mental illnesses such as; apophenia, psychosis and potentially exacerbating symptoms of schizophrenia. But these negative attributes can be applied to a myriad of mind-altering and non-mind-altering substances when chronic abuse or addictive personality disorders are involved.

A predisposition to an addiction that causes a psychological dependency should be isolated and treated as an independent factor, because segregating cannabis as an illicit substance does not preclude addictions. Over 20 States have legalized marijuana for medical purposes, while Washington and Colorado legalized it for recreational usage.

Libertarians and moderate republicans have collaborated with democrats in a house vote to retract the federal government from intervening in states legality of cannabis. This dichotomy between the federal and state governments precedes back to the drafting of the constitution and the rivalry between the federal aggregation of power vs state sovereignty. The dramatically changing politics on cannabis is truly a situational irony, and how the marijuana (dotcom) stock bubble will affect the stock-market and overall economy requires another discourse.